Concurrent facial and trigeminal nerve palsies in a child following COVID-19 vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine.

We present the case of a teenaged boy who attended our Ear, Nose and Throat Emergency clinic with a left-sided lower motor neuron (LMN) facial nerve paralysis associated with sensory loss in the distribution of the ophthalmic (V1) and maxillary (V2) divisions of the trigeminal nerve. This happened 3 days following a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine. He had a House-Brackmann grade V facial palsy, with marked inability to close the left eye. He was treated with a 10-day course of oral steroids and referred to ophthalmology for eye care. He had an MRI scan of the head, which revealed no space occupying lesions or other abnormalities. Over the 6-week period of follow-up, the patient's V1 and V2 sensation gradually resolved, along with improvement of his LMN facial nerve palsy to House-Brackmann grade 3. Despite the potential temporal relationship, it is not possible to establish a causal relationship between the patient's symptoms and the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine, thus further research is required.

Trends in Decubitus Ulcer Disease Burden in European Union 15+ Countries, from 1990 to 2017.

Decubitus ulcers (DU) are a common pathology with significant morbidity and financial implications for health services globally. This study aimed to compare the burden of DU across European Union (EU) 15+ countries between 1990 and 2017. METHODS: Age-standardized incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rates per 100,000 were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study online data repository for EU15+ countries (a group of 19 countries with comparable health expenditure, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia). A joinpoint regression analysis was used to describe trends. RESULTS: The incidence of DU increased between 1990 and 2017 in 15 of 19 EU15+ countries for both men and women. Mortality from DU decreased over the time period analyzed in the majority of EU15+ countries: only in Denmark, Finland, and Germany were increasing mortality rates observed. Decreasing DALY rates were generally observed, with the largest decreases observed in Ireland for men and women. Denmark and Germany were the only countries to demonstrate unfavorable trends in mortality, incidence, and DALYs between 1990 and 2017 for men and women. The United States, the Netherlands, and France were the only EU15+ countries in which improving disease burden was identified between 1990 and 2017 for all parameters assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of DU is increasing in EU15+ countries, whereas mortality rates and DALYs are improving. The trends in disease burden in Denmark and Germany have followed contrasting and unfavorable trends. Investigation into these trends is called for.